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In keeping with the old and new calendar traditions, Babinden celebrated twice in January

Old-style Midwive's Day marked with songs and reenactments across Bulgaria

published on 1/21/25 7:02 PM

Photo: BTA

Babinden, or Midwives' Day, was once again this year celebrated across the country with songs, dances and ritual re-enactments. The day of midwifery was marked on January 8, and today, following the old-style calendar tradition. On Babinden, people honour the babi - a term for "grandmothers", referring to the women who traditionally assisted in childbirth, or midwives.

At the "Maichin Dom" maternity hospital in Sofia, a holy liturgy was held and the midwives' hands were ceremonially washed with holy water and soap.

The maternity ward of the Burgas Regional Hospital boasted that more than 1,400 babies had been born in the year 2024.

A re-enactment of the ritual was performed by women from the "Belite Brezi" pensioners' club in Breznik, Pernik district. Besides the symbolic "washing" of the midwife's hands, accompanied by blessings for health, they also presented humorous customs related to conception and pregnancy. Of course, there were also traditional dishes and drinks served on this day in the region. These included pitka (traditional round bread), boiled sauerkraut with pork, slanina (salo) and dried pepper, pacha (a thick pork broth made from slowly boiled pig's head and feet), banitsa, rakia and others.

Babinden is one of the most revered national women's holidays among the series of winter holidays celebrated by the Bulgarian people.

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